1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a test strip for evaluating changes in skin wrinkles, especially in the context of measuring the efficacy of anti-aging cosmetic products.
2. The Related Art
A number of publications have disclosed test devices for the lay person to self-diagnose their skin conditions. U.S. Pat. No. 3,571,947 (Maddison et al.) discloses a system for identifying blemishes. A flexible, compliant film of plastic is imprinted with pictorials of various types of common blemishes. These reflect different dermal diseases. They are cross-referenced with a handbook identifying the diseases from the type of blemish. Cross-indexing treatments further provides a suggested treatment to remedy the medical condition.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,727,949 (Bar-Or et al.) provides a dual ring panel reference card. The panels are mounted for relative movement whereby a selected diagnostic characteristic of a skin problem can be aligned with a second diagnostic characteristic and a determinable prognosis revealed from the specific paired characteristics.
CuDerm Corporation has developed a simple diagnostic test to determine the degree of skin dryness. CuDerm utilizes adhesive discs (D-SQUAME) capable of removing a small section of squameous cells (skin cells) and compares the results against a chart. The disc is a transparent plastic with adhesive on one side. The test involves placing the adhesive surface of the disc against a user's cheek, peeling off the disc and placing same on a dark background card. Flakes from the skin stick to the adhesive surface and are visualized against the dark background. Other than loose flakes, no topographical imprint is ever taken from the evaluated user's skin.
There are many cosmetic products sold which advertise certain skin benefits. Consumers usually cannot easily discern whether the claimed benefit is actually delivered. Even if perceivable, these actives impart an effect which may emerge only slowly over a period of time. Anti-aging actives are particularly illustrative. Facial fine lines and wrinkles can be minimized with actives such as alpha hydroxycarboxlic acids and/or retinol, to provide some visible improvement over an extended application period. They don't function instantaneously.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a low-cost simple test for a consumer to self-evaluate a cosmetic product's anti-aging benefits over a prolonged application period.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a low-cost simple self-evaluation tool for measuring changes in fine lines and wrinkles on the face or other aging susceptible parts of the human dermis.